Manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating, or power purposes.



H. S. ELWORTHY, DEOD. I}. G. BLWOBTHY, ADIIHISTBATBIX. v MANUFACTURE orGAS FOB ILLUMINATING, HEATING, 03 mm runrosns.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 15, 1905. 943,627. Patented Dec. 14,1909.

7 I 8 SKEET8-BHBET 1.

Q WITNESSES: I

H. s. ELWURTHY, DEGD.

E. G. iILWOBTHY, ADKIR'ISTBATBIX.

MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOB ILLUMINATINQ, HEATING, 0B POWER PURPOSES.APPLIUATIOH FILED HAY 15, 1905.

943,627. v Patented Dec.14,1909.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

H. ELWORTHY, DEGD. '11. e. ELWOETHY, ADMIHISTRATBIX. MANUFACTURE 01 GASFOR ILLUMINATING, HEATING, 0B POWER PURPOSES.

4P1LIOATION FILED MAI 15, 1905.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

3 BEEETBSHEET 3.

I/VI/E/VTOR:

w/ r/vgs s 53."

Ni ED STATES PATE T oEEIcE. v

HERBERT SAMUEL ELWORTHY, OF ST. \ALBANS, ENGLAND; L EN GERTRUDE EL-woETHY ADMINISTRATRIX sun HERBER SAMUEL ELWORTHY, coEcEAsED.

MANUFACTURE oE GAs FOR ILLUMINATING, HEATING, 0R POWER PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 1909;

Application filed May-15, 1905. Serial No. 260,401.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT SAMUEL EL- woRTHY, of Battlefield Road, St.Albans, in the county of Herts, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating, Heating,or Power Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

The aim of this invention is to provide a new and yaluable industrialprocess for the manufacture'of gasfor illuminating, heating, or powerpurposes.

The gas produced according to the invention is substantially coal gas,but with the important differences that it contains, as compared withordinary coal -gas, less hydrogen and more methane, andthat there isa-partial or total absence of carbon monoxidor dioxid, or of both oxids,depending on the way in which the invention is carried out and thetemperature at which the reaction. is conducted.

Broadly,the invention consists in submitting gasobtained from thedestructive distillation of coal, bitumen, or other similar source(hereinafter in the description and claims referred to as coal gas) tothe action of metallic nickel at asuitable temperature or temperatures,whereby carbon monoxid or carbon dioxid, or both, present in the coalgas is caused to combine with the hydrogen thereof to form methane andwater, the methane produced becoming blended with the residue of thecoal gas in accordance with one or both of the following according tothe oxid or oxids of carbon acted upon.

There is generally more hydrogen present gas, or producer gas (orgeneral y any form of combustible gas other than natural gas),

wise blended with the residue of the gas. Thus the surplus hydrogen ofthe coal gas is utilized to convert the oxid or oXids of carbon of theadded gas, and a larger volume of converted gas is obtained. The termwater gas includes any form of gas ob-' result which it is desired toattain and the use to which the gas is to be put.

In carrying out the invention, higher hydrocarbons other than methaneshould be separated substantially from the coal gas before passing itover the nickel alone or mixed with any of the other gases above1nentioned. This may be efiected by passing the coal gas through ascrubber containing a suitable solvent, such for instance as hydrocarbonoil. The gas obtained after'subjection of the coal gas or mixture to thenickel may be -afterward enriched with the hydrocarbons previouslyabstractedor with other suitable hydrocarbons to increase itsilluminating properties, or such enrichment may be dispensed with. Thehydrocarbons removed from the gas may be recovered from the solvent bydistillation in the usual .way,

the solvent being. used over again. The ammonia, sulfurete'd hydrogen,and other impurities should also be removed from' the coal gas before itis subjected to the action of the nickel. This may be effected in theusual way, but when it is desired to'convert the carbon dioxid of thegas into methane the lime purifying treatment may be omitted, thuseffecting an important saving. Where water. gas or other of the gasesabove mentioned are added to the coal gas before the reaction, thesegases should also be freed from-sulfur compounds and impurities.

Itis well known that the ordinary manufacture of coal gas can only beconducted from gas coal of a certain quality, and care has to be takentowork at a proper temperatureto secure the prescribed illuminatingpower. By the present invention a greater yield in quantity of coal gascan be obtained by conducting the manufacture at ahigher' temperature,and coal of an inferior quality can be utilized if necessary. Further,by substituting methane for the oxids of carbon 'usually contained incoal gas the illuminating power of the-gas than has been hithertopossible. The gas obtained can therefore be arger in quantity than thatordinarily produced. Y

Assuming for the sake of illustration that the gas to be treated is coalgas of the ordinary type, this is first purified from the tar, ammonia,sulfureted hydrogen, and other impurities, the carbon dioxid beingremoved or not, according as it'is desired to convert it into methane.The hydrocarbons other than methane being also removed as abovementioned, the gas is passed over metallic nickel at a suitabletemperature or temperatures to cause the oxid or oxids of carbon .tocombine with the hydrogen present to form methane and water. The gas isthus deprived of the oxids of carbon and a large quantity of itshydrogen, and in place of these gases methane is substituted. Thenickelapparently'takes no part in the reaction, as at the end of theoperation it'remains unaltered. The temperature of the reaction is amatter of great importance, as the dioxid requires a higher temperaturethan the monoxid for its conversion, and the monoxid is liable to beconverted into carbon and carbon dioxid if its temperature of conversionbe much exceeded. Consequently when both oxids are present in the, coalgas or mixture and it is desired to convert them into methane, it ispreferable to conduct 'the' nickel to convert the carbon monoxid ordioxid, as the case may be, into methane and water bycombination withhydrogen.

As is known, the gas comin from the retorts during the distillation 0coal contains at first very little hydrogen and large quantities ofmethane and the higher hydrocarbons, but as the distillation proceedsthe proportions are reversed, and during the latter part of theoperation the hydrogen increases very largely. According to the pres Aent invention the gas first produced and that given off at a later stagemay be col-, lected separately, and this latter part may be used as asource of hydrogen'for the methane react-ion. The first portion of thedistillate may beemployed direct for illuminating or other purposes. Thelater portion of the distillate may be purified and deprived of anyhigher hydrocarbons it may contain and then passed, with or withoutaddition of water gas, producer as, or other of the gases beforementione over the I nickel to convert the carbon'monoxid and (or) carbondioxid and hydrogen present into methane and water.-

In cases where'the-coal gas to be treated has not been subjected to thelime treatment for removal of the carbon dioxid, it may be desirable toadd a small proportion of hydrogen to bring the proportion of hydrogento approximately the theoretical proportion necessary for the conversionof the carbon oxid or oxid's.

The nickel may be simply placed in layers in the powdered state uponsuitably arranged shelves in a retort, chamber, or vessel; or it may becaused to-adhere to the surface of some porous materlal as broken fi'rebIlCk, pumice stone, or asbestos fiber,an agglut-inatin and not easilyfusible substance being use such as pi e clay, fire clay, magnesiumchlorid, or 0t er suitable material. Or the finely divided nickel itselfmay be made up into balls or blocks of any suitable size by bein mixedwith an agglutinating material an preferably also with some organicmaterial, such as sawdust, which can be easily burned away, leavin theblocks more porous. Or the nickel may be used in the form of fine foilor Wire, or it may be placed in tubes made of wire gauze. The finelydivided nickel, as produced by the Mond reaction when the decompositionof the nickel carbonyl is conducted at a rather may be heated internallyor externally to the required temperature, say, for example, 250 C. forthe carbon monoxid and 350 C. for the carbon dioxid. Instead of heatingthe chamber itself the gas only may be heated if necessaryto therequired temperature before admission, as in this manner the reaction ismore under control, since hotter or colder gas can be admitted at anystage of the reaction so as to control the temperachamber itself for inthe pipes, as may be found most suitable. Any other suitable means maybe adopted for controlling the temperature, which is a matter of greatimportance for the reason above mentioned. When the reaction isconducted in two stages, as before mentioned, to convert both oxids ofcarbon into methane and water, the

gases may be reheated during the interme-' diate stage, i. 6. after theconversion of the monoxid at the lower temperature and before theconversion of the dioxid. The two stages are preferably conducted inseparate chambers. The gas, after having been subjected to the action ofnickel, mayafter further purification, if necessary, be conducted to agas-holder, the steam formed in the reaction being preferably firstcondensed.

The apparatus which would be required for the purpose of carrying outthe invention when coal gas alone is caused to react with the nickelcomprises substantially a coal gas plant or coke oven plant, with achamber or other receptacle for containing the nickel as described, alsoa scrubber in which a suitable solvent for the hydrocarbons (other thanmethane) in the-coal gas is used to dissolve out such hydrocarbons. Theapparatus required for carrying out the invention when a mixture of coalgas and water gas is caused to vreactwith the nickel comprisessubstantially a coal gas plant or coke oven plant, a water gas plant,and a chamber or other receptacle for containing the metallic nickel,also a scrubber in which a suitable solvent for the hydrocarbons (otherthan methane) in the coal gas is used to dissolve out such hydrocarbons.In lieu of the water gas plant last mentioned, there may -be substitutedthe ordinary plant for producing Dowson gas, producer-gas, Siemens gas,or any modification of such gases.

Instead of mixing coal gas and water gas each obtained separately, asuitable mixture of the two gases may be obtained in an economicalmanner as follows :-Water gas is heating-up sta e of the superheater ispreferably conducte made by any of the well-known processes and isthensuperheated, either by passing it through hot blast furnaces of theordinary type, or preferably by passing it through incandescent carboncontained in an ordinary producer; it is thence passed direct intoanother producer or chamber containing gas coal, whereby the latter issubmitted to destructive distillation. The coal gas formed blends withthe water gas, and the mixed gases, after suitable purification andremoval of the heavy hydrocarbons, can then be submitted to the actionof metallic nickel for the conversion of the oxids of carbon andhydrogen contained therein into methane and Water as detailedhereinbefore. The

with air at a high pressure, so as to insure the conversion of the cokeinto carbon dioxid, whereby a much higher temperature is produced.

In whatever way the invention may be carried into effect it will beunderstood that -hy drogen or water gas, producer gas, Siemens gas,Dowson gas, or the like, or any or all of these gases, may be added tothe coal gas before it is subjected to the nickel in order to secure theproportion of hydrogen and oxid or oxids of carbon theoreticallynecessary for the reaction to produce methane.

The manner in which the invention can be carried into eiiect will beunderstood from the following description and accompanying drawings ofapparatus embodying the same,

it being understood that this .apparatus isv given only by way ofexample and that the invention is in no way confined to the employmentof the apparatus shown, which may be varied to suit diiferentrequirements.

In the drawings Figure '1 is a side elevation partly in section of theapparatus up to and including the stove for heating the re actionmixture, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the nickel reaction chamber.Fig. 3 is 'a vertical section illustrating an arrangement of generatorfor producing a combined coal and water gas for use when a mixture ofthese gases is to be subjected to the action of nickel as beforedescribed.

1 is a scrubber consisting of ametal casing charged with any suitablesolvent capable of substantially separating from the gas higherhydrocarbons other than methane. For instance, ordinary parafiin oil ofa moderately high boiling point may be used.

2 is a rotary brush mounted in the base of the scrubber and driven by abelt pulley 3 so as to revolve in the solvent, which is admitted-to thebase of the scrubber by the pipe 4 and flows away through the pipe 5.The oil may be circulated through the scrubber by a pump (not shown) orother means, and may be treated in any suitable way to recover theabsorbed hydrocarbons. The brush is driven at a relatively high speed,so that in revolving it sprays the hydrocarbon into the upper portion ofthe scrubber.

6 is the gas inlet pipe and 7 the gas outlet pipe, and 8 8 are verticalbattle plates disposed in the gas space of the scrubber; these cause thegas to take a sinuous course so as to be subjected thoroughly to theaction of the oil.

It is of great importance to properly remove the higher hydrocarbonsother than methane from the gas, and by'employing a. scrubber of thecharacter just described this removal can be effected in a veryeflicient and satisfactory manner.

9 is a fan for drawing the gas forward through the system.

10 1s a pipe fitted with a valve 11; this pipe may be connected to anyconvenient plant for producing any kind of water gas,

'12, and meters 13 and 14 may be interposed at any suitable points inthe pipes 7 and 10, so that the volumes passing can be observed andregulated. If hydrogen has to be added to bring up the percentage ofsame to that theoretically necessaryfor the reaction, it may be admittedbv the pipe 10.

The fan 9 is connected to a mixing chamber 15 fitted with bafile plates16, whereby when a mixture of gases is employed they are caused totake'a sinuous course through the chamber so as to insure anv intimatemixture. I

17 is the outlet pipe from the mixing chamber and which delivers the gasto the heater or hot blast stove 18. This may consist as shown of arefractory brick chamber containing a series of vertical pipes, 19opening into a horizontal pipe 20 at top and another horizontal pipe 21at bottom, these latter pipes being closed at one end. The pipe 20 isconnected to pipe 17 and pipe 21 to a pipe 22, which conducts the gas tothe nickel reaction chamber and is fitted with a valve 23. A combustionchamber 24 is provided in the heater, and in the base of this chamber agas pipe 25 may be laid below the pipe 21, or the gas may be broughtinto the furnace through suitable flues or channels in the concretefloor. The pipe 25 has a series of burners and is fitted with a valve 26for opening or cutting oft the gas supply; These burners may be fed withcombustible gas from any suitable source, and conveniently with producergas from the same source, which serves to supply the burners of thenickel chamber referred to later.

27 is a by-pass pipe fitted with a valve 28, whereby a part or the wholeof the gas can be sent around the heater 18 instead of through the same,so as to regulate the temperature of the gas entering the nickel chamberthrough the pipe 22.

The nickel chamber in theform shown has been specially invented with theobject of insnring' intimate and thorough contact ofthe gas with thenickel so as to obtain an efficient reaction. It consists of a structure(with or without an outer metal case or shell) of brick 29, which may befaced in.- ternally with refractory material and in which are mounted aser es of pipes 30 closed at both ends. Any desired number of rows ofthese pipes maybe employed' They are supported on a bottom plate 31formed with holes or perforations 32 over its surface for 'ient means.pipe 6 to the scrubber, while the brush 2'is 125 started and thecirculating pump is set the passage of heating gases, and the chamber 29is closed at top by a plate 33. l.-

34 is a common inlet pipe connected to the pipe -22, and which admitsthe gas to the pipes 30 through openings or connections at 7 to passthrough these pipes it is brought into most intimate contact with thenickel therein. Instead of being vertical as shown the pipes 30 may beinclined or even horizontal.

36 are gas jets disposed in the base of the chamber, and serving. forheatingthe chamber to start the reaction and for revivifying the nickel.These burners may be supplied with producer gas admitted to the.channels 37 by any suitably arranged pipe.

38 and.39 are outlet pipes for the gases of combustion or for the coldair or steam used for controlling the temperature of the nickel chamber.40 and 11 are air inlet pipes for combustion of the producer gas, while42 and 43 are inlet pipes for cold air or'steam for temperature control.These three pairs of pipes are controlled by valves to enable 9:)

communication ,to be opened and closed between them and the interior ofthe chamber, and may beconnected together so that one valve serves foreach pair. Doors may be provided at any desired points to give access tothe chamber for cleaning, inspection, and repair.

It Wlll be understood that the apparatus shown is capable ofmodification in many Ways. The scrubber may be replaced by any goodordinary-commercial scrubber, or it may be omitted when it is notrequired to remove other hydrocarbons than methane before passing thegas to the nickel chamber.

The hot blast stove may be replaced by any usual form of such apparatuswhile the nickel chamber may be arranged inmany ways.

The operation of the apparatus described would be as followsz-The gasfrom the retorts, coke oven, or the like is first freed from ammonia,sulfureted hydrogen, and other impurities in any ordinary way, andif-i't is not desired to convert the carbon dioxid or alternatively thecarbon monoxid present into methane as before mentioned, this may alsobe removed byany ordinary or conven- The gas is admitted by the runningto circulate, the oil through the scrubber. The gas deprived ofhydrocarbons other than -methane is drawn away through the pipe 7 by thefan 9. If the coal gas or mixture of gas as above mentioned, the valve11 will be closed, but when it is desired to add such.

other gas or gases the same is or are admitted by the pipe 10 and valve11, and the valves 11 and 12 are adjusted to secure the proper mixturefor the reaction in the nickel chamber or chambers. From 'thefan 9 thegases is delivered through the mixing chamber 15 to the heater 18,whereby it is heated to a suitable degree for the reaction in the nickelchamber, or to any other desired extent,-- the valve 23 being opened toallow the gas to flow on tothe nickel chamber 29. At the commencement ofthe reaction the gas jets 36 may be lighted to raise the chamber to thenecessary temperature, the valve controlling the pipes 40, 41 beingopened to supply the necessary air for the combustion, and the valvecontrolling-the pipes 38, 39 being opened to allow the products ofcombustion to escape. Assuming the gas to contain substantially onlycarbon monoxid, the nickel chamber '29 should be kept at about 250 6.,and as the reaction is strongly exothermic the temperature must becontrolled. This maybe eifected by admitting steam or pumping cold airin through the pipes 42, lVith the same object the valves-23, 28 may beadjusted so that some or all of the gas is sent around the heater. Thegas admitted by the pipe 34: passes up through the nickel in the pipes30, and the carbon monoxid'combines with the hydrogen to form methaneand water. The resulting gas passes away by the pipe 35 and may be ledthrough any suitable condenser (not shown) to arrest the steam present.If it is required to restore to the gas the hydrocarbons extracted inthe scrubber 1,.the oil from the scrubber may be distilled in anysuitable stillfor example, an ordinary tar stil1or treated for recoveryof the absorbed hydrocarbons, and the recovered hydrocarbons may berestored to the 'gas in any convenient way; for example, the gas may bepassed through a" chamber in which the distillate from the still isreceived, as will be well understood. Or any other suitable hydrocarbonscan be used for enriching the gas. The gas, enriched or not, may befinally 'collected in a gasometer or the like; When the gas to betreated contains substantially only carbon dioxid, the procedure will besimilar to that above described, but thetemperature of the reactionchamber will be kept at about 350 C. If the gas to be dealt withcontains'both oxids of carbon, and it is required to convert them bothinto methane, the as after passing through the nickel chamber 29 for theconversion of the carbon monoxid may be led on throtwh a second heaterand-nickel chamber simil ar to those above described and 43 as required'provided with analogous means for regulatmg the temperature of thereaction, as will be understood without further illustration. In thiscase the temperature of the second nickel chamber will be regulated toabout 350 C. to effect the conversion of the carbon dioxid, theresulting gas being led away through a condenser and enriched or not asbefore.

' If it should be desired to adopt the modification wherein carbonmonoxid is removed from a gas containing both oxids and to subject thegas with the remaining carbon dioxid to theaction of the nickel, thismay be performed by the known Mond reaction, the gas being passed overfinely divided nickel at a suitable temperature about 50 .C.; forexample, whereby the monoxid combines with the nickel to form nickelcarbonyl'Ni(CO),. The remaining gas may be then passed through the plantto the nickel chamber and subjected to the action of the nickel for theconversion of the dioxid. 'The nickel may be recovered from the nickelcarbonyl by slightly raising its temperature, whereby the carbon monoxidis driven off. If, on the other hand, carbon dioxid is to be removedfrom the gas before line carbonate. In whatever way the process iscarried into effect, the hydrogen andoxid or oxids of carbon in the gasor mixture of gases should be in suitable theoretical proportion toyield methane and water on contact with the nickel. If less hydrogen ispresent than that theoretically required, the deficiency may be suppliedby admitting hydrogen by the pipe 10 or other suitable connection, whileif a mixture of coal. gas and water gas, producer gas, Siemens gas,Dowson gas, or the like is to be treated, thls added gas may be admittedby the said pipe or connection.

Should the nickel in the nickel chambers tend to become exhausted it maybe revivified by heating the nickel by'means of the gas jets 36 to sayabout 400 C. to 500 C. and passin-ga current of air over it for a shorttime. Or the air may be heated to a suitable temperature in a hot blaststove before passing it over the nickel. current is then stopped andhydrogen or water gas at about the same temperature is sent over it,whereby the oxid produced by the .air current is reduced and metallicmetal re-formed, which is then again ready for use. I

Referring now to the combined coal and water gas producer illustrated inFig. 3, this apparatus comprises three refractory-brick furnace chambers44, 45, and 46, each provided with a grate (47, 18, 49), charging hopper(50, 51, 52), charging valve (53, 54,

The air 63, adapted to be closed by dampers 64, 65,

and-at bottom by'flues 66, 67, fitted with dampers 68, 69.- 70 is a pipeconnected to a chimney not shown, and 71 is another pipe for leadingaway the gas produced. These ipes communicate with therespective-chamers of the generator by flues 72, 73, 74, and 75, 76, 77fitted with suitable valves. Communication between the spaces below thegrates of the chambers is also provided by means of a pipe 78 and fines79, 80,81 opening into. the saidspaces and likewise fitted with suitablevalves. For small-Sizer installations all three furnaces may becontained in one outer metal casing 82 as shown, but in large-sizedplants it will probably be found more convenient for each element to beself-contained,- the manner of working being nevertheless adheredto. Inthis case a metal casing should be provided for each element. Inoperation 44, 45, or 46 can be used either as a water gas producer,superheater, or coal gas producer, each in turn being charged asrequired, but it will be sufficient to describe the case in which 44 isused as the water gas producer, 45 as the superheater, and 46 as thecoal gas prohers is raised to high incandescence.

ducer. 44 and 45 are charged with coke and 46 with raw coal, preferablyas used for commercial gas production. The fuel in all three chambers isi nited, and astrong blast of air is blown in through the nozzles 56,57, 58, the blowing being continued only for a short time in'46, but fora longer time in 44 and 45, or until the fuel in these two cham- Thevalves controlling flues 72, 73, 74 being open, the products ofcombustion pass away through these flues and the pipe to the chimney.When the temperature in 44 and 45 is sufiiciently high, the air is shutoff from these chambers, and steam, preferably superheated, is blowninto 44 through the nozzle 59, the valves 64 and 69 and that containingthe fine 77 being opened, and the other valves closed. The steam passesup through the fuel in 44, where it is decomposed, with the formation ofwater gas, and thence passes through the passage 62 and down through thehighly incandescent fuel in 45, where it is strongly superheated; at thesame time any steam which has escaped decomposition in 44 is decomposedin 45. The highly superheated water gas passes on through the passage.67 into the coal gas producer 46, and as it rises through theraw fuelcontained therein theivolatile portion of the fuel is distilled and thecoal gas thus that one chamber is worked in the ordinary manner of awater gas producer, one as a superheater and the other as a coal gasretort. By appropriate manipulation of the valves the furnaces may bechanged in rotation, so that each in turn performs one of the functionsof the plant, the chambers being charged in turn with gas coal, which,after distillation, can be heated up i to a higher temperature by theair blast and used as the superheater. .The superheater can be workedeither with heated fuel as described or an ordinary checker brickfilling may be used therein. In this latter case it will servepermanently as the superheater. The pipe 78 and lines 79, 80, and 81 areprovided for use when the. order of working the furnace is changed, andwhen thefurnace which is being used as a superheater is separated fromthat used as the water gas producer by the coal gas producer. TheVarious valves may be so connected in a group or groups by any suitablemechanical arrangement as to allow of their manipulation by one or moremovements of a lever or levers in order to lessen the labor required.The combined water and coal gas should be purified, which may beeflected in the wellknown manner, the carbon dioxid being removed or notas required, and the gas can then be passed through the methaneproducing plant with or without previous addition of water gas or otherof the gases before mentioned.

I do not either claim the process of manufacturing gas which consists inpassing a combustible gas containing oxid of carbon and hydrogen incontact with nickel in the presence of a large quantity of a combustiblegas inert to nickel and carbonaceous prodnets, with variations of suchprocess, nor the article which is produced thereby. These are describedand claimed in an application filed by me May 26. 1905, Serial No.262,477.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A process forthe manufacture of rich in methane for illuminating, heating or powerpurposes, said process consisting in the production of a gas produced bydestruetlve distillation of carbonaceous material, separating therefromhydrocarbons other than methane and afterward passing the gas overmetallic nickel at a suitable temperature to produce methane and water,the methane produced becoming mixed with the residue stantiallytheoretical proportion for the conversion of oxid of carbon present intomethane and water,and at a suitable temperature for such conversion.

3. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process consisting in the production of a gasproduced by destructive distillation of carbonaceous material,separating therefrom hydrocarbons other than methane, mixing therewith acombustible gas rich in oxid of carbon and passing the mixture of gasesover metallic nickel at a suitable temperature for the production ofmethane and water the methane produced becoming mixed with the residueof the gas.

4. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes,

" said process consisting in the production of a gasby destructivelydistilling carbonaceous material, separating therefrom hydrocarbonsother than methane, blending therewith any form of water gas and'passingthe mixture of gases over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature toconvert oxid of carbon and hydrogen present therein into methane andwater.

'5. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process consisting'in the production bydestructively distilling carbonaceous .material, of a gas containingcarbon monoxid and carbon dioxid, separating therefrom hydrocarbonsother than methane and afterward passing the gas first ove'r metallicnickel ata suitable temperature to convert the monoxid and a portion ofthe hydrogen present into methane and water and passing the resultinggas over a further quantity of nickel at a suitable temperature for thecon version of the dioxid and a further quantity of hydrogen,substantially as described.

6. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes,

said process consisting in the production by destructively distillingcarbonaceous material of a gas containlng carbonmonoxld and carbondioxid, separating therefrom hydrothe hydrogen, and then over a furtherquantity of nickel at a suitable temperature for the conversion of thedioxid and a further quantity of-hydrogen, substantially as described.

7. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process consisting in the production of a gas bydestructively distilling carbonaceous material separating therefromhydrobon, the resulting mixture containing both carbon monoxid andcarbon dioxid, and passing said mixture first over metallic -nickel at asuitable temperature for the conversion into methane and water of one ofsaid oxids and a portion of the hydrogen present and then over a furtherquantity of nickel at a suitable temperature for the conversion of theother oxid and a further quantity of the hydrogen, substantially asdescribed. i

8. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process consisting in the production of a gas bydestructively distilling carbonaceous material, separating therefromhydrocarbons other than methane, m xing therewith any form of water gas,the resulting mixture containing carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid andpassing said mixture in presence of hydrogen in substantiallytheoretical proportion for the conversion of both 'oxids into methaneand Water, first over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature ,to

effect the conversion of the monoxid and then over a further quantity ofnickel at a suitable temperature for the conversion of the dioxid,substantially as described.

9. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process consisting in the production bydestructively distilling carbonaceous material, of agas'containing-carlcion monoxid and carbon dioXid, separating thlerefromone of said oxids and hydrocarbons other than methane and afterwardpassing the gas over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature toconvert the other oxid and hydrogen present into methane and Water,substantially as described. i

10. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heatingorpower purposes, said process consisting in the production of a gas bydestructively distilling carbonaceous material, mixing with said gas acombustible gas rich in oxid of carbon, as water gas, the resultingmixture containing carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid, separatingtherefrom one of said oxids and hydrocarbons other than methane, andafterward passing the gas in presence of hydrogen in substantiallytheoretical, proportion for the conversion into methane and water of theother oxid, over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature for suchconversion, substantially as described.

-11. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes,

said process consisting in the production of a gas by destructivelydistilling carbonaceous material, said gas containing carbon monoxid andcarbon dioxid, separating therefrom carbon dioxid and hydrocarbons l l iV ceous material, the process which consists in colecting the gasevolved at earlier and later stages of the distillation separately andsubjecting the later portion to the action of the nickel for theproduction of methane, the methane formed mixing with the residue of thegas, substantially as described.

13. In the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating, or powerpurposes by the passage in contact with hot nickel of a gas obtained bydestructively distillin carbonaceous material, the process whic consistsin collecting the gas. evolved at earlier and later stages of ,thedistillation separately, mixing the later portion of the distillate witha combustible gas rich in oxid of carbon, and subjecting the resultinggas to the action of the nickel for the production of methane, themethane formed mixing with the residue of the gas, substantially asdescribed. 1

14.1 A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process comprising the production of a combinedcoal and water gas, separating therefrom hydrocarbons other than methaneand afterward passing the gas over metallic nickel at a suitabletemperature to convert hydrogen and oxid of carbon into methane andwater substantially as described.

15. A process for the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process comprising the production of a combinedcoal and water gas, separating therefrom hydrocarbons other than methaneand afterward passing the gas in presence of hydro en in substantiallytheoretical proportion for the conversion of oxid of carbon containedtherein, over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature to effect suchconversion, substantially as described.

16. A process for the manufacture of ga. for illuminating, heating orpower purposes, said process comprising the production of a combinedcoal and water gas, containing carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid,separating therefrom hydrocarbons other than methane and afterwardpassing the gas in presence of hydrogen in substantially theo-' reticalproportion for the conversion of'said oxids into methane and water,first over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature for over a furtherquantity 'of nickel at a suit able temperature for the conversion of thedioxid, substantially as described.

17.-A rocessfor, the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating orpower purposes,

said rocess comprising the production of a combined coal and water gascontainingcarbon monoxid and carbon dioxid, separating therefrom oneofsaid oxids and hydrocarbons other than methane and afterward passingthe gas over metallic nickel at a suitable temperature to convert theother oxid and hydrogen present into methane and water, substant allyasdescribed.

18. Inthe manufacture of gas for illumipassage in contact with hotnickel of'a gas obtained by destruct vely distlllnig carbona ceousmaterial, the process which consists inproducing water as, superheatingthe same and passing suc superheated water gas through a chamber chargedwith gas coal,

whereby the coal is subjected to destructive distillation and thecoal'gas formedmixed 'nating, heating or power purposes by the with thewater gas to form a combined coal oil, whereby said hydrocarbons areremoved,

substantially as described.

20. In the manufacture of gas for illuminating, heating, or powerpurposes by the passage in contactwith hot'nickel of a gas obtained bydestructively distilling carbonaceous material, the sub-process whichconsists in passing the gas, before it is subjected to the nickel,through a solvent of its hydrocarbons other than methane, as hydrocarbonoil, whereby said hydrocarbons are removed, and enriching the gas aftersubjection to the nickel, by restoration of the extracted hydrocarbons,substantially as described.

21. A process for the manufacture tr gas rich in methane forilluminating, heating or power purposes, which consists 1n producing agas by destructive distillation of carbonaceous material, and causing areaction of an oxid of carbon and hydrogen therein to form methane.

In witness whereof, I have herunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' HERBERT SAMUEL ELWORTHY. Witnesses:

GEORGE BELOE ELLIS, THOMAS L. WHITEHEAD..

